AUTUMN -
'Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness'
(or, as we say in our family)
‘Produce, Preserve and Provide’
In my distant childhood my parents like many back then reared pigs and chickens which kept us in meat and eggs, they also grew vegetables and fruit. It didn’t supply all our needs but it certainly helped. I was born just after the end of World War 11 and rationing was still in place.
No matter where we lived later on, we continued to grow our own fruit and vegetables, either in the garden or on an allotment and I continue to do so now in my allotment, which not only helps me to keep fit, but also goes a long way in keeping us supplied with fresh vegetables and fruit.
Over the years when autumn begins to make itself felt, (and its early this year – 2014) we become even busier than normal, harvesting the crops we have grown and nurtured over the previous months - Produce.
So now, back home the kitchen becomes a production line as we set about making jams, jellies, chutneys and pickles and then there’s the freezing of fruits and vegetables until both freezers are full. Add to that bottling of more fruits and tomatoes and arranging the storing of yet more fruit – apples and pears and potatoes - Preserve.
A lot of hard work which I will accept is not for everyone, but we enjoy it and then when winter sets in we can hopefully enjoy the benefits of our labours and share them with our family and friends - Provide.
Perhaps that’s why I enjoy autumn more than any season, the misty mornings, cobwebs covered in early morning dew, the myriad of autumn colours, the first frost that tells us winter is just around the corner and the happy knowledge that the harvest has been safely gathered in. Yes I love autumn.
Produce, Preserve and Provide - it works for me.
